Police in Vancouver, Washington, were contacted May 31 after 32-year-old Wesley Palmer and his baby’s mother brought the child, then 2 months old, to the PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center emergency room, according to The Columbian.

In an affidavit for probable cause, a doctor said the infant was not breathing and was having a seizure, so he was transferred to Randall Children’s Hospital in Portland.

After looking at the baby’s CT scan, doctors determined he had a skull fracture and several old and new brain bleeds. His eyes were also bleeding, and he had bruises across his abdomen. In court records, a doctor said the injuries “were consistent with abusive head trauma.”

On Wednesday, Deputy Prosecutor Erik Podorah said the baby stayed in the Portland hospital for a week, then had to be hospitalized again about two weeks later.

Palmer pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to first-degree attempted assault of a child, The Columbian reported. According to court records, Palmer told investigators the baby had been acting normal on May 30, but was crying, which frustrated him enough to throw the baby down on his changing pad, which caused his head to whip from side to side.

Palmer said the baby lost consciousness after that, at which point he called the baby’s mother to take him to the emergency room.

The Columbian report said Palmer wept in court when the mother – who was holding the now 9-month-old child – told the judge her son’s “entire bright future was ripped from him” due to the effect his brain trauma will probably have on his development. She said her “hopes and dreams” for him have changed, now only wanting to be able to see him walk or hear him say “mommy.”

The baby’s mother told police she left for work around 10 a.m. May 30 and left him in Palmer’s care, according to the affidavit. About 10 minutes later, Palmer called her, she returned home and saw Palmer holding the baby’s limp body, she said.

Palmer told investigators he became frustrated by the baby’s crying and demonstrated on a doll how he threw him down on a changing pad, according to court records.

Palmer apologized, saying “I should’ve been protecting my son, and now I feel I have to protect him from me.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.